An expert in signal analysis, Professor Boualem Boashash, of Qatar University’s College of Engineering, worked for the US and Australian military for years. But over time, he decided he’d rather apply his skills to a different sector of society. “In terms of my personal history, if you want to move from work that is with the military, it’s best to move to work that is for the health of infants, the most innocent, Dr. Boashash said. “So in 1992 I had a meeting with a colleague in Australia, and we looked at potential collaborations. We brainstormed, and since then we made a lot of progress.”

From your average spaghetti strainer to the screen on your windows, filters are a part of our every-day life. In their simplest form, they keep debris out of air and water. Yet as filter technology advances, so does the level of precision around what we can keep out.

As an evolving agency designing all of its activities according to world-class standards, QNRF, in collaboration with QSTP, has recently taken major steps within the realm of intellectual property management across all applicable QNRF-funded research projects. Among news highlighted in this latest issue, you will find exciting developments in funding programs and events, including new Research Office of the Year and Research Team of the Year merit awards; the Fourth Undergraduate Research Experience Program competition results; National Priorities Research Program 5th cycle results, and QNRF’s Fourth Annual Forum. Additionally, we have modified our Young Scientists Research Experience Program (now termed the Junior Scientists Research Experience Program), to include a wider range of researchers at critical stages in their careers.

Majd F. Sakr, Ph.D., is the Assistant Dean for Research at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q). He is also the co-founder of the Qatar Cloud Computing Center. In addition to working at CMU-Q and Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, he has held appointments at the American University of Science and Technology in Beirut and at the NEC Research Institute in Princeton, New Jersey. His research specializations include data-intensive scalable computing, computer micro-architecture, compiler optimizations, scientific computing, embedded systems, reconfigurable systems and human-robot interaction.

This November saw the second Qatar Annual Research Forum, drawing together researchers and leadership from across Qatar, and speakers from prominent institutions worldwide. Joining the speakers was QNRF Executive Director, Dr. Abdul Sattar Al-Taie, who shared insights on the dramatic changes that have occurred within QNRF and Qatar's research community in the five years of the funding agency's existence.

Secondary school students throughout Qatar are stepping forward in greater numbers to learn through their very own research projects. The unique opportunity to write proposals and manage investigations through to results is theirs due to Qatar National Research Fund's Secondary School Research Experience Program. In its second cycle, the program recently drew 273 letters of intent (LoIs)—a 55 percent increase from the first cycle—261 of which advanced into projects.

As the clock struck noon in Doha on December 6th, so too hit the deadline for National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) grant proposals from researchers in Qatar and their collaborators worldwide. Now in its fifth cycle, the NPRP attracted 1,460 Letters of Intent, which resembled the number from last year and thus reflected the stringent eligibility criteria put in place by QNRF to ensure the highest quality research output, according to Noor Al-Merekhi, NPRP Program Manager at QNRF.

For the second consecutive year, Dr. Omar Boukhris, QNRF Senior Manager-Award Administration was invited as a guest speaker at the 53rd annual meeting of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) held in Washington D.C. this past November. Dr. Boukhris headed a team from QNRF, attending the full event and returning to share the outcome with all QNRF staff.

For the second consecutive year, Dr. Omar Boukhris, QNRF Senior Manager-Award Administration was invited as a guest speaker at the 53rd annual meeting of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) held in Washington D.C. this past November. Dr. Boukhris headed a team from QNRF, attending the full event and returning to share the outcome with all QNRF staff.

The Public Relations Department of QNRF held a ceremony for QNRF's employees and partners to celebrate Qatar National Day and learn more about the past, present and future of the dynamic country. A traditional tent was set up in one of QNRF's meeting spaces at its office location in downtown Doha. Flags, food, gift bags, a traditional tea service and music of Qatar created a festive and warm environment.

Mr Faisal Al-Suwaidi, Qatar Foundation's new President for Research and Development, recently visited QNRF's headquarters in downtown Doha to meet higher management and senior staff in order to connect with, and learn more about, the funding agency's Programs and objectives.

In 1997, a movie called Gattaca hit the screens and got everyone talking about what life would be like if you could predict a person’s future based on their genes. The ethical implications of precise genetic prediction would be massive, as babies would be judged harshly before birth. Research has come a long way since the 90s, however, and Gattaca is now more comic than compelling. Genetic differences, although precisely linkable to certain diseases, are limited in their ability to determine whether and when a disease will actually occur. The environmental and lifestyle variables are just too considerable and are where many researchers are focusing their efforts today.

Qatar is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. At the heart of the vision for the country's development is a decreased dependence on natural resources and an increased reliance on a knowledge economy. This vision demands much in terms of aligning infrastructure to support education and research. But more than that, it demands the right people to bring, create and transfer knowledge. Attracting them is one thing, retaining them is another. For the first time, a researcher in Qatar is putting Doha under the microscope to make suggestions about its development.